The third annual Otago Daily Times school teams chess championship is under way for 2007. This year there are 14 schools represented, one more than last year. In the secondary grade Kings High School will be trying to make it three titles in a row, while Dunedin North Intermediate are also seeking their third straight title in the intermediate grade. The teams are comprised of four players from the same school and the winner of each grade earns the right to represent Dunedin in the New Zealand Chess Federation interschool teams final in Palmerston North on 22-23 September.
Today's game is from the Cleland Trophy tournament currently in progress at the Otago Chess Club. Don Storey, playing White, concludes a with a nice finish against Anthony Ritchie.
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O b6 6. Re1 Bb7 7. Bg5 d6 8. Bxf6 ---
White's flexible Torre Attack opening is typical of club play – avoiding getting caught in complex 'book' lines. This exchange prepares 9 e4 claiming central space. Black responds in kind and we get a closed centre of locked pawn chains. 8. --- Bxf6 9. e4 e5 10. d5 c6 11. c4 cxd5 12. cxd5 Nd7 13. Nc3 a5 14. Nb5?! Nc5 15. a3 Ba6! 16. Nc3 Nd3 17. Re3!? ---
In a closed position slow maneouvres tend to predominate. White's prematurely aggressive 14 Nb5 has rebounded and allowed Black to assume the initiative. White now hopes to lure the advanced knight offside. 17. --- Nxb2 18. Qb3 Nc4?!
A safer way back was Nd3-c5. 19. Ree1 Rc8 20. Bh3 Rc7 21. Rec1 Qb8 22. Nb5 Bxb5 23. Qxb5 Nxa3?
Now the knight is trapped. Instead 23... Rc5! 24 Qb3 b5 would have saved the knight and stayed a pawn up. 24. Qb3 Rxc1+ 25. Rxc1 Be7?!
Making room for counterplay with f5, but this proves weakening. Black's best chances lay with advancing his two connected passed pawns starting with 25 ... b5. 26. Qxa3 f5?! 27. Rc6 Rf7 28. Qb3 Bd8 29. exf5 gxf5 30. Nd2 b5 31. Nc4! ---
A cunning maneouvre that flows into a winning combination. 31. --- Bc7 32. Ne3 f4 33. Be6! fxe3 34. Qxe3! Qd8
The difficult-to-foresee point behind White's play is that there is no way that Black can avoid going a whole rook down. E.g. 34 ... Kf8 35 Qh6+ Ke7 (35... Rg7 36 Qf6+) 36 Bxf7 Kxf7 37 Rxc7+! Qxc7 38 Qxh7+ etc. 35. Qf3 Qe7 36. Bxf7+! ---
Preferring to keep queens on the board as mate is not far off... 36. --- Qxf7 37. Qg4+ Kf8 38. Qc8+ Qe8 39. Qxc7 a4 40. Qxd6+ Kg7 41. Qh6+ Kg8 42. Rc7 Qg6 43. Rc8+ Kf7 44. Qf8 mate
School teams competition begins
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The third annual Otago Daily Times school teams chess championship is under way for 2007. This year there are 14 schools represented, one more than last year. In the secondary grade Kings High School will be trying to make it three titles in a row, while Dunedin North Intermediate are also seeking their third straight title in the intermediate grade. The teams are comprised of four players from the same school and the winner of each grade earns the right to represent Dunedin in the New Zealand Chess Federation interschool teams final in Palmerston North on 22-23 September.
Today's game is from the Cleland Trophy tournament currently in progress at the Otago Chess Club. Don Storey, playing White, concludes a with a nice finish against Anthony Ritchie.
1. d4 Nf6
2. Nf3 g6
3. g3 Bg7
4. Bg2 O-O
5. O-O b6
6. Re1 Bb7
7. Bg5 d6
8. Bxf6 ---
White's flexible Torre Attack opening is typical of club play – avoiding getting caught in complex 'book' lines. This exchange prepares 9 e4 claiming central space. Black responds in kind and we get a closed centre of locked pawn chains.
8. --- Bxf6
9. e4 e5
10. d5 c6
11. c4 cxd5
12. cxd5 Nd7
13. Nc3 a5
14. Nb5?! Nc5
15. a3 Ba6!
16. Nc3 Nd3
17. Re3!? ---
In a closed position slow maneouvres tend to predominate. White's prematurely aggressive 14 Nb5 has rebounded and allowed Black to assume the initiative. White now hopes to lure the advanced knight offside.
17. --- Nxb2
18. Qb3 Nc4?!
A safer way back was Nd3-c5.
19. Ree1 Rc8
20. Bh3 Rc7
21. Rec1 Qb8
22. Nb5 Bxb5
23. Qxb5 Nxa3?
Now the knight is trapped. Instead 23... Rc5! 24 Qb3 b5 would have saved the knight and stayed a pawn up.
24. Qb3 Rxc1+
25. Rxc1 Be7?!
Making room for counterplay with f5, but this proves weakening. Black's best chances lay with advancing his two connected passed pawns starting with 25 ... b5.
26. Qxa3 f5?!
27. Rc6 Rf7
28. Qb3 Bd8
29. exf5 gxf5
30. Nd2 b5
31. Nc4! ---
A cunning maneouvre that flows into a winning combination.
31. --- Bc7
32. Ne3 f4
33. Be6! fxe3
34. Qxe3! Qd8
The difficult-to-foresee point behind White's play is that there is no way that Black can avoid going a whole rook down. E.g. 34 ... Kf8 35 Qh6+ Ke7 (35... Rg7 36 Qf6+) 36 Bxf7 Kxf7 37 Rxc7+! Qxc7 38 Qxh7+ etc.
35. Qf3 Qe7
36. Bxf7+! ---
Preferring to keep queens on the board as mate is not far off...
36. --- Qxf7
37. Qg4+ Kf8
38. Qc8+ Qe8
39. Qxc7 a4
40. Qxd6+ Kg7
41. Qh6+ Kg8
42. Rc7 Qg6
43. Rc8+ Kf7
44. Qf8 mate
1-0
Solution: 1 ... f6+ 2 Kh4 Bf2+ 3 g3 Bxg3#